Devotional 3-31-14

As a child in the  40's I grew up with my Dad gardening and harvesting. In the spring he would plant lettuce and onions and we would have wilted lettuce made with bacon grease from the pork we had. We had strawberries  and gooseberries  too. Later he would plant green beans, corn, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, beets and potatoes, white ones and sweet ones too. He even grew peanuts too that he roasted  in the oven for us. My Mom would harvest the things that he grew and can them for us to live on in the winter

In the fall my Dad would start to save seeds for the next spring. He would gather them and dry them and make sure they would be good seed for the next years planting. Did all the seed produce for the next year? Of  coarse not. But my Dad knew that and he allowed for the difference knowing that not all seed are a like and therefore you make allowance for the difference.

Is that not what God does with us? He made us to grow and he wants us to harvest and  allow for the seed that may not grow the way we want it to. My Dad knew that not all seed are the same. Therefor you accept the fact and know that your harvest will be the same.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 2-22-12

As a devotional today, Jean Ramsey invites us to go to this link to read a story about "What People Talk About When They are Dying."

We should learn from those who are dying that the best way to teach our children about God is by loving each other wholly and forgiving each other fully - just as each of us longs to be loved and forgiven by our mothers and fathers, sons and daughters.  (Kerry Egan)

Devotional 4-14-11

Ever since the Memory Garden was built at Johnson Memorial, I have tried to make it grow and thrive. The Memory Garden to me is so important because it was established to remember all the loved ones that have been a part of our church from time immemorial. I have planted many plants there and most of them have struggled to survive. Was it because of poor soil, lack of water, or neglect after original planting? Scott and I amended the soil, mulched the plants, and watered them, but they never did well. The garden was supposed to be a place where we could go and reflect on the people who have made our church what it is today, and I could not find anything that would grow and flower there until last fall. I finally planted winter pansies. Winter pansies are such a delicate looking plant. They really do not display the attributes of a species that could survive freezing temperatures. To my amazement those little flowers bloomed even in our harshest cold this winter and even when covered with snow. This spring they are even more beautiful than they were when I planted them in the fall. Not many members of our church have seen those pansies. I know they are there, just like I know that God takes cares of us, and we do not know it. If God can make frail little pansies grow in the harshest of times, what else can He do for us that we do notice? We daily take advantage of his many blessings that we pay no attention to. I worked to find the right plant for the Memory Garden, but I know he finally helped me to make them grow through all the efforts of finding the answer to my wishes for our Garden. It is there for those who can only find access to our sanctuary because they can no longer climb our steps or are on their last journey into their church. Have you seen those pansies? They will be there until about May then I will try to find a plant that will survive the summer. Is my seeking the right plant for our garden not unlike our seeking of Christ? We are constantly trying to find the answer to what will work to make our life what we want it to be, but we have to try out a lot of things before we discover that He is the way for us to bloom and flourish even if nobody sees it.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 3-19-11

Flash back 50 years. I am 17 years old. I have been at Johnson Memorial for about 5 years, and I have attended Sunday School, Worship Service, and MFY as it was called then. At MYF we ate hot dogs made by Smitty Hart and John Paul Childers, and Bud Krippene did their best to ride herd over our rambunctiousness. I sang in choir and made good friends, some of which I still have today. I had managed to buy a 1954 De Soto -- a bathtub, cast iron, gray and black bomb of a car that I bought for $500. Gasoline cost 50 cents a gallon. On one Good Friday I drove down from the east end, and I stopped at a red light at 10th Street and 6th Avenue, and I looked over at our church. It dawned on me that it was Good Friday. In the time that I sat there waiting for the light to change it came over me: "Why in the world could this be called Good Friday.?" How could this be? Jesus went through all this pain and suffering -- what could possibly be good about that? The light turned green, and I drove on toward my house. The sky did not turn suddenly dark that day, but it was my first realization of what a great thing our Lord did for us. Where were you when you realized what he did for us? Have you tried to make a difference because of it?

Jean Ramsey